Helen Vargas

If anyone ever cared, really cared for someone else it would have to be Helen Vargas. She was a warm hearted and well liked individual, and these wonderful traits came easily to her because she was such a sociable and amiable person, someone who was always making certain that those around her had whatever they needed. Helen was a talkative person who was tactful at all times but typically said what she meant.

Helen was born on March 27, 1927 at City-County Hospital in El Paso, Texas. She was the daughter of Adolfo and Hipolita Rivas. Helen was raised in El Paso, Texas. During her childhood she learned to be reliable and respectful. Helen was an obedient child who wanted to win the favor of others. She found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. These admirable qualities would become a part of Helen's personality throughout her life.

Though Helen was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with her family, she was also quite often the family member who took the role of referee. Helen was a peace-maker with an ability to resolve all sorts of family conflicts. In fact, Helen worked conscientiously to keep those typical family spats at bay. Helen was raised with four siblings. She had Adolph, Carmen, Maria and William. Helen and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.

For Helen, the school routines were never a problem although she generally preferred variety to structure. She seemed to be able to start a project and work right through to its completion. And she was able to do it quickly and efficiently. Helen was also adept at details. Helen was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite classes in high school were Reading and English.

College can be a challenge, but Helen appeared to be well equipped to succeed. She had a knack for staying focused and on track no matter what was going on around her. Helen had the ability to work undisturbed through all of the constant interruptions that are a regular part of college life. Helen enjoyed using the skills she'd already learned and applying them to new courses. She knew the facts and rarely made factual errors. She earned her Associate of Arts from Pasadena City College. Her favorite courses were Child Development. She was appointed the lead administrator for supervising the certification of bilingual teachers for the Los Angeles School District.

There was one thing that all of Helen's friends knew and will still remember, and that is that she was a talker. She could pretty much talk to anybody about anything. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Helen was such a popular person throughout her life. But Helen was also dependable, loyal and trustworthy. Helen was the kind of person who simply radiated good fellowship. While she maintained personal standards and her own personal values, Helen was very accepting of others. With a distinct skill for working things out, Helen was often the person who would organize events. In fact, Helen was fairly comfortable playing the role of “host” for just about any occasion. When Helen made friends, she made true and lasting friendships. While growing up, some of her best friends were Francis Baez, Nikki Cardenas, Jessie, Lola Santa Cruz, Cata Carrillo. Later in life, she became friends with Angie and Frank Vargas, Felipe and Margaret, Irene and Danny Bazan, Lalo and Francis Arias and all her friends at Senior Club.

Helen was a faithful and loving person. Some would even call her sentimental and a romantic at heart. Her kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around her. Helen cared for what others thought and carried that into her marriage. On August 23, 1947 Helen married Adolfo Vargas at Our Lady of Guadalupe of Los Angeles, California. Compassionate and devoted, Helen worked hard to make her new life partner happy.

Harmony was important to Helen and she made every effort to maintain it with her family. Helen was blessed with six children, three sons, Mark, Fred and Andres and three daughters, Madaline, Nora and Marina. They were also blessed with 16 grandchildren, Michele, Amber, Natalie, Mark, Eric, Nicole, Veronica, Becky, Michael, Nicholas, Andrea, Adrian, Christine, Daniel, Christopher (deceased) and Jackie. She also has 11 great-grandchildren Joey, Bella, Vincente, Ayden, Esperanza, Jazmine, Lilliana, Hannah, Urias, Eli, Jacob and two on the way. Helen was always conscious of the feelings others had. She was reasonable and understanding. As a result, Helen was quick to solve disputes and did so without much fuss. Her secret of success in this area was simple: Helen would listen before she would act.

Taking her work seriously came naturally to Helen, and she expected the same from those around her. Helen was a good team player, someone who was born to cooperate with others. She was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in her good communication skills. Helen was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Helen handled well. She could understand the details without getting lost in the broad “big picture.” Her primary occupation was Special Education Teacher. She was employed for over 20 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District and she had a family owned book store for 21 years. She brought harmony to her work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for her colleagues.

A methodical woman, Helen enjoyed spending time working on her various hobbies. She had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that she could have something to show for her efforts. Her favorite pursuits were traveling, dancing, crossword puzzles and spending time with her family.

Helen was one of those people who took pride in constantly putting forth her best effort. Nowhere was that more visible than in sports. Helen was always enthusiastic and a great team player. Helen also liked being a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football - Dallas Cowboys.

Her keen interest in things that affected the lives of other people led Helen to become actively involved in professional and community organizations. Because she was outgoing and worked well with others, Helen did her fair share of volunteer work. And she wouldn’t shy away from taking the lead on committees or events, either. She was a born list maker and was great at creating and sticking to schedules. Throughout her later years, Helen was an active member of the Senior Club at Los Nietos.

Helen was the kind of person who would readily move into action in order to help others. She was appreciated and respected. She could find value in the opinions of others and was passionate about her own values and beliefs. So it’s little wonder that she was active and highly valued by those in her community. She was active at her daughters Catholic Schools and PTA.

Her high moral standards and traditional values served Helen well with her faith. Religion and faith were important to her. She was a member of the Catholic Church. She was well respected because she was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner she could.

A generous and compassionate woman, Helen accomplished much during her lifetime. Though she never set out to gain individual recognition, Helen was recognized and given awards for her many and varied efforts throughout her life. Some of her most prestigious awards included Teacher of the Year.

Not only did Helen enjoy traveling, but she also seemed to enjoy planning all of those trips and vacations. She was a facilitator who could easily make up a near perfect schedule of all of the things to do and see. She rarely tired of going back and revisiting her favorite places. Favorite vacations included at least 3 cruises. Trips to Palm Springs, Caribbean Islands, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Oregon, Utah, New Orleans, Mexican Riveria and Arizona.

Helen passed away on November 28, 2011 at Citrus Valley Hospice in West Covina, California. She is survived by her loving family. Services were held at St. Christopher Catholic Church.

Helen was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. And whenever she said something, she meant it. Helen was a down to earth person, outgoing and gregarious. She was without question the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. She was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember her for most is the fact that she was so understanding and kind. Everyone whose life she touched will miss Helen Vargas.